When in Rome

Jian Huaishuang heard this and did not ask further, merely nodding slightly and retracting the drifting paper snow.

Cangming and Cangche listened from the side, confused, but dared not interrupt rashly, only looking at Chen Zhou with anticipation.

Chen Zhou did not explain.

He just looked at the new graves once more.

Chiwei, Black Shark, and those soldiers who could not even leave their names.

—Wait.

Before long, you will be able to return.

Beneath the surface of the sea, a dull roar suddenly echoed.

Chen Zhou lowered his gaze.

He saw the seawater begin to boil.

"Splash—"

Giant waves surged, and the sea surface ahead suddenly parted.

A whale-shark strongman as massive as a small mountain emerged from the water, carrying a magnificent coral throne on its back.

Behind the strongman followed a grand honor guard.

Hundreds of whale guards clad in bright silver armor held long halberds, standing in orderly rows.

Dozens of Clam Maidens held giant tridacna shells that opened and closed, producing crisp, melodious clashing sounds like chimes.

There were also schools of glowing jellyfish trailing long, transparent tentacles, rising slowly through the water and illuminating the surrounding sea with shifting colors.

Finally, the Old Turtle Prime Minister hobbled out from behind the whale-shark strongman.

He was clearly dressed in his finest attire today.

His deep purple court robes were ironed perfectly, with a golden-embroidered pattern of waves supporting the sun on the chest patch, and his black gauze hat sat squarely on his head, its two wing-like flaps trembling with every step.

However, several blood-stained bandages were still wrapped around him, peeking out from the collar and cuffs of his court robes.

But his spirit was exceptionally high, and his old eyes shone with an incredible brightness.

The Turtle Prime Minister spotted Chen Zhou standing atop the clouds and immediately knelt on the sea surface in excitement.

"This old servant welcomes the Lord Dragon Ancestor!"

"May my Lord live for ten thousand years, ten thousand years, and ten thousand years more!"

"Please take your seat and proceed to the Dragon Palace, my Lord! This old servant has prepared a modest feast to welcome you back!"

Chen Zhou looked at the coral throne encrusted with pearls, agates, and night-luminescent pearls—shining so brightly in the sunlight it was almost blinding—and his lip twitched slightly.

The aesthetic taste of the Sea Race was indeed... hard to compliment.

However, seeing the countless pairs of expectant eyes around him, Chen Zhou did not refuse.

When in Rome, follow the local customs; as an Evil God, one had to satisfy the believers' sense of ritual occasionally.

With a flash of his silhouette, he landed firmly upon the throne.

The seat was softer than expected, feeling warm and smooth like water.

Chen Zhou looked down and saw two dragon carvings on the armrests; the whiskers were lifelike, the scales layered, and even the joints of the claws were meticulously detailed.

They were almost identical to the golden dragon the Dragon Carp had transformed into.

"Begin the procession—!"

The Turtle Prime Minister gave an excited shout, and tens of thousands of members of the Sea Race cheered, surrounding Chen Zhou like stars encircling the moon.

Cangming and Cangche stood as guards on either side as the massive entourage advanced toward the deep-sea Dragon Palace.

Further back, the low-level Sea Race members who had been queuing at the pass to return home began to follow spontaneously, led by someone in the crowd.

Even the soldiers guarding the pass had run off after the Dragon Ancestor; why would they still wait in line?

Following the Dragon Ancestor's footsteps was the priority!

The low-level Sea Race members lacked the orderly ranks of the honor guard and the fine armor of the whale guards; they were just ordinary citizens of the Eastern Region.

Some carried worn bags, some led their young, and some pushed handcarts filled with their belongings from the land.

Yet the fervor and devotion in their eyes were no different from the elite soldiers ahead.

"Lord Dragon Ancestor..."

"It really is the Dragon Ancestor..."

"I knew that feeling wasn't wrong!"

"My scales are burning!"

"Dad, what does the Dragon Ancestor look like? I'm too short, I can't see..."

"Silly child, that is the Lord of Ten Thousand Scales, the incarnation of the true dragon; how could a little shrimp like you have the luck to see his true face?"

"Just catching a glimpse of his shadow is enough to brag about for a lifetime!"

"Mom, can I be a guard for the Dragon Ancestor in the future too?"

"You certainly can, as long as you cultivate well and don't get lazy; there will be a day."

The crowd whispered, and then, someone took the lead and shouted at the top of their lungs.

"Welcome the Lord Dragon Ancestor's return to the sea—!"

The voice cracked slightly, but the shout was heart-wrenching and filled with sincere emotion.

Then, a second, a third, a tenth, a hundredth—

"Welcome, Lord Dragon Ancestor!"

"Welcome, Lord Dragon Ancestor!"

"Long live the Dragon Ancestor—!"

Countless voices merged into a torrent, piercing through the seawater and echoing through the clouds.

Sitting on the coral throne, Chen Zhou looked back at the Sea Race members swarming behind him.

Some were missing half a pincer, some had lost large patches of scales, and some were wrapped in fresh, bloody bandages.

But in their eyes, the same light burned.

It was like the tremor of a lonely boat finally sighting a harbor after drifting for ten thousand years.

Or the joy of a child who had been lost for ten millennia finally waiting for their parents to return.

Chen Zhou watched quietly for a moment.

Then he raised his hand and pressed down lightly into the air.

The boiling sea surface instantly fell silent.

Everyone unconsciously held their breath.

"You may all rise."

"Now that this deity has returned, in the Eastern Region—"

"There is no longer a need to kneel."

Just a few simple words.

At that moment, it caused countless members of the Sea Race to tear up.

Although there were no grand promises or earth-shattering miracles.

They did not know where the Dragon Ancestor had gone for the tens of thousands of years he was missing.

They did not know why he only returned now.

They did not know what the future of the Eastern Region would be.

But they knew that from this day forth, the sea had its dragon back.

In the stories of their ancestors, that glorious era where the ten thousand scales paid homage and the four seas submitted might finally be approaching.

The whale-shark strongman carried the coral throne and slowly sank into the deep sea, surrounded by countless sea folk.

As they passed through the gate of Shanhe Pass, built from coral and shells, Chen Zhou looked up.

On either side of the gate tower, a mottled ancient couplet was engraved.

Ten thousand miles of vast waves return to the abyss,

A thousand years of scales transform into dragons.

The horizontal plaque bore only two words.

Maritime Territory.

The characters had been washed by sea currents for ten thousand years and were already blurred.

Yet they still stood tall.

Just like this sea region that had endured many hardships but never yielded.

Chen Zhou looked away.

The deep sea spread out before him, and in the distance, the layered glazed eaves of the Dragon Palace were faintly visible.

Chen Zhou suddenly remembered that he still had a welcome feast to deal with.

He fell silent for a moment.

He turned to look at the excited Cangming beside him, who was already calculating the dishes for the banquet.

"The banquet."

Chen Zhou said.

"Keep it simple."

Cangming blanked for a moment, then nodded repeatedly.

"Yes, yes, yes, please rest assured, my Lord, it will definitely be simple; we will just organize it simply according to the highest specifications of the Eastern Region!"

Chen Zhou: "..."

Highest specifications.

Simple.

You call this simple?

Cangming had already begun counting on his fingers.

"The crab roe paste must be freshly taken, preferably from a thousand-year crab king; the clam pearl powder must be freshly ground from night-luminescent pearls; the shark fins..."

Chen Zhou closed his eyes.

Whatever.

When in Rome.